New executive director settling in at Nord Center

After spending 18 years with FrontLine Service in Cleveland, Eric L. Morse took his experience in the mental health field to serve as executive director of The Nord Center at 6140 S. Broadway Ave. in Lorain.

Morse officially began his position at The Nord Center Aug. 28 and has been busy visiting the agency’s facilities, getting to know staff and meeting with community partners, according to a news release from The Nord Center.

Morse has spent over 21 years in the medical field — receiving his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Baldwin Wallace University and master’s degree in social work from Case Western Reserve University.

Before arriving in Lorain, Morse spent the last eight years as a chief operating officer at FrontLine Service.

Originally from Cleveland, Morse has lived in Oberlin for some time during his career and said he knew of The Nord Center and its contributions to Lorain County’s mental health service.

When the executive director’s position became open at The Nord Center, he said he applied because he was ready to help Lorain County.

“I felt like with the experience at FrontLine and a lot of the growth (the company) went through, I really learned a lot on the job there,” Morse said. “I felt like I could really bring those skills and talents to the community I live in.”

The Nord Center and FrontLine Service are two mental health services that are similar to each other, he said.

Both practice in comprehensive mental health, operate a suicide hot-line and provide homeless services in the Cleveland area which supply housing for patients in the area as well.

During the time The Nord Center was without an executive director, there was not much leadership in the center, Morse said.

The volunteer board stepped in and managed much of the center, he said, and added they did a fantastic job.

Morse said when he began the new job, he and the board had to work quickly on getting finances in order because there were financing problems in the center.

There also were no reductions in staff and the administration was able to reduce and restructure any administrating costs, he said.

First three months

During his first three months as executive director, Morse said he spent time getting to know the community and its partners.

He said he would go to each of the team meetings and met with all of the staff in small groups so that he could hear from them and see what it’s like working at the center.

Strategic planning is the next thing to do for the center because it hasn’t had one for awhile, Morse said.

Morse said The Nord Center has always stayed consistent on its great clinical work and it has a great foundation.

However, he said the center seems to have had some internal problems develop over the years.

With its foundation, he said he wants to bring The Nord Center back to its former place of excellence that it has had in Lorain County.

For some time, the center had a national reputation for being one of the best centers in the country, Morse said.

There have been a few downfalls over time, but he said he wants to work with the center and the community on getting back and improving for its citizens.

He said he wants to make sure The Nord Center is providing services that are evidence-based, to have proven outcomes and that the staff is well-trained and supported.

“(We) will need to start to think bigger about how do we, as a center, help to be a leader for all of Lorain County,” Morse said.

“How do we have a broader community impact? How do we change the conversation about mental health addiction? How do we help solve problems?

“Its important for us to stop for a minute and look at what the community needs, what their strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats are. Then make decisions on where we want to go in the future so that we are making strategic decisions about what we need to do over the next three years.”

Morse said fundraising is another big goal of his.

It will be part of the center’s strategic plan, he said.

The Nord Center will turn 70 years old next spring. The staff and board plan to have a big fundraiser to celebrate, Morse said.

They also plan to unveil the strategic plan and reengage with the community, he said.

“It’s hard to leave after being somewhere for 18 years, but as soon as I walked in the door, it’s been great,” Morse said. “The people are great and the leadership that’s here is very willing to make changes and think through things differently. They seem to be excited about where we are headed.”

Morse said The Nord Center is a big collaborator.

“If we work together, we can have impact on the community,” he said.

The Nord Center is on the web at www.nordcenter.org.

Morse